Lara: Give children unconditional support

Lara: Give children unconditional support


Sean Nero
Published: Guardian
Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Brian Charles Lara, right, signs autographs for participants at the opening of The Sports Desk Youth Symposium titled Champion at the Petrea Hall, Centre of Excellence yesterday. Photo: ANDRE ALEXANDER

Former West Indies batting star Brian Charles Lara called on parents and guardians to offer children in their care the unconditional support required during their most impressionable years, to ensure they emerged as upstanding and outstanding citizens.

Addressing hundreds of secondary school students during the three-day Atlantic Sports Desk Leadership Symposium held at the Petrea Hall at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, yesterday, Lara said benefitting from the guidance of his father Bunty Lara and legends of the WI team nurtured him to appreciate the highs and manage the lows of the sport when those moments were presented. 

“Having a mentor is very important. From the age of six, my dad, who was retired at the time, every Sunday morning he took me to the Harvard Coaching Clinic. Whether you are six, seven or eight the one person you want to see with a smile on their face is your dad. My dad played a huge support throughout my career up until he passed away. He was my number one motivator. I urge that all parents play a very important part in their kids’ lives, because for me it was so necessary,” he said.

The ex-skipper recalled a point in his teenage years where being spoilt caused him to disrespect his father. They were heading off to a match and the younger Lara reportedly told his father he was not welcome to attend.

Midway through the match, however, under a mango tree in the distance, Lara saw his dad in attendance.

“Obviously I apologised later on in the evening and he took me home. But his support was unwavering. We may have had our differences over a period of time, but if there was one common denominator it was the fact that we needed each other.

It is something I could never thank him for enough. Moving to the West Indies cricket team, I was considered a little bit of a pest, because back in those days we had roommates and my roommates were guys like Gordon Greenidge, the late Malcolm Marshall and Desmond Haynes. At midnight, they were still trying to shut me up because I was always talking and asking many questions because I wanted information about West Indies cricket from them,” he said.

Asked by a member of the youth audience to recommend ways people in society could deal with doubt, the former batting star said as a sportsman, especially in cricket, athletes could find themselves in awkward positions of failing more than they succeed.

Lara recalled scoring more runs under 40 than over. This, he said, arose because of the level of doubt that confronted him more often than not.

“I also really had a dull period for about three years after I broke the first world record.  I really couldn’t handle all the stardom. I believe one of the most important things is to have a very balanced outlook on everything. Most importantly, as well, is to have that foundation. Having a good foundation in everything that you are doing is something you can go back to when things get tough. So whenever I had doubts, I knew I could bat. I knew I had that basic technique to do so. And it was only a matter of time before I came back and had that belief in myself,” he said.

Lara added, “Another way to deal with doubt is the opposite. When things are going well for you, try as much as possible to make that period as long as possible. What you find is, some youngsters who are very successfully, you can see them easily distracted, moving onto different things, making more glamorous stuff, preparing to enjoy the proceeds more than the process.

That’s something that I was very aware of. So whenever I scored runs, I went to the video looked at the little mistakes I made even though I scored runs because I knew the opposition was going to attack me in this particular way. I think you’ve got to have self belief. It’s very important that you do that. Nobody is going to have self-belief for you.”

www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2016-07-12/lara...nconditional-support